Great Week For Tottenham and Sport, Spoiled By A Childish Politician
By Alan Hill
A fantastic weekend for sport and Tottenham fans. The signing of Paulinho completed to the relief of impatient supporters, then the British Lions defeat Australia to record a series win and on Sunday Andy Murray brings to an end the 77 year wait for a British Champion in the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon. How could anyone possibly spoil that?
Summer Diary 10
Who’s the childish politician? [Photo: Alan Hill]Sat July 6
Hooray! At last the official Spurs website confirms the signing of Paulus (sorry, Paulinho see Diary Number 8) following the successful completion of his medical. I know you have to be careful with these things but one look at him at the Confederations Cup would have done for me). Now we just need one more top class striker and I’ll believe that we can win something next season. If it wasn’t for the ridiculous rule about 4th place getting a Champions League spot, I’d still rather win a Cup. Whatever happens if we do get a world class striker and hang on to Bale, then we cannot blame management for failing to make the necessary signings like in the last transfer window. So well done Daniel Levy and Co. Come on, just one more…
Well Done the British Lions!
A great victory for the British Lions. Always preferred the game to Rugby League. Not surprising really. I went to senior school just a mile or so from Twickenham and had to learn to play it properly every winter for 5 years on the trot. I was not really built for it but that made no difference at our school. At least that means I can appreciate a well-played game when I see it.
Hats off to the coach Warren Gatland, who stepped up to the mark as a manager and coach, made sweeping changes to the team and dropped a great player. He was already being crucified in the media before the game. I didn’t think the Lions would cope with so much change and thought we would lose, so the victory and especially the margin of it was a pleasant surprise. It must have felt like the icing on the cake for the 10 Welsh players who had already won the 6 Nations championship.
Sun 7 July
Congratulation to Andy Murray
Another passing shot puts Andy Murray 15-40 up at 4-4 in the third set and he leads by 2 sets to love. Takes the next point. 5-4, he comes out to a roar to serve for the Wimbledon Championship. 15-0. Reads the drop shot. 30-0. 40-0. 3 Championship points…40-15. 40-30. Is he bottling it? Deuce. Slams a return into the net. Advantage Djokovic. Break point. Deuce. I think he’s going to do it now. Net cord to Djokovic after it looked like his last shot was long. So, advantage Djokovic again. Great disguised forehand from Murray. Deuce. Brilliant cross court drop from Djokovic at the net. Advantage Djokovic again. Great serve and volley from Murray. Deuce. Crowd chants “Murray, Murray” then respectful silence. Comes back with a lob and rushes the net as Djokovic’s return hits it. Championship point again. He has done it! My God, he would not let that game go. What an effort. He goes down in history as one of the great Scots. Congratulations. When I started typing this, watching it live, I thought it would just take a couple of sentences but the game just went on and on and on!
Not So Clever!
So there I was, enjoying it with everybody else when sadly, one opportunistic politician had to lower the tone and spoil the moment. He detracted from Murray’s fantastic individual achievement by grinning like a buffoon and simultaneously displaying his combined nationalistic inferiority complex and the chip on his shoulder by shaking a Scottish flag behind the Prime Minister’s head. No class. Can you imagine Cameron doing that with the cross of St. George at the Scottish tennis championship? That’s if there is one. Did he do that to President Obama at the US Open too, I wonder? Childishly planned, like the class fool in a school photo. If he had to do it, why didn’t he hold it up in front of his own face? It’s Murray’s achievement not his after all.
In recent years, even Andy Murray himself has shown the diplomacy to acknowledge he is British, as well as Scottish, whatever he may feel inside as indicated by his earliest public statements on the matter. Salmond? Typical politician. What a banker. Excuse the typing error.